Electric alarm-signal for railway-crossings



No. 626,978. I Patented June [3, I899.

W. H. DANALDS &A. E. FLICKINGER. ELECTRIC ALARM SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY'GROSSINGS.

(Application filed Dec. 31, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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W JUATTOHNEYS WEE TATES PATENT FFICE,

WILLIAM H. DANALDS, OF BEREA, AND AARON E. FLIOKINGER, OF ELYRIA, OHIO.

ELECTRIC ALARM-SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentiNo. 626,978, dated June 13, 1899.

Application filed December 31,1897- Serial No. 664,868. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,\VILLIAM H. DANALDS, of Berea, Cuyahoga county, and AARON E. FLIOKINGER, of Elyria, Lorain county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Alarm -Signals for Railway-Crossings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in electrical alarm-signals for railway-crossings.

The object of our invention is to indicate the approach of a train to a crossing by an audible signal, to provide two track-circuits at opposite sides, respectively, of the crossing, and to operate the signal not only upon the approach of a train to the crossing, but while the train is passing over the crossing and maintain the signal in operation until the whole of the train has passed over thecrossing, to stop the operation of the signal as soon as the last pair of wheels of the train has passed over the crossing, and at the same time prevent a train that has passed over the cross ing and before it is out of the second trackcircuit from interfering with the operation of the signal by another train approaching the crossing and moving in the same direction.

-\Vith this object in view our invention consists in the peculiar arrangement and combination of an electrical alarm-signal located at or near the crossing and electrical appliances hereinafter described and claimed. The accompanying drawing shows a diagrammatic View of a railway-crossing, track, alarm-bell, and electrical appliances essential in the carrying out of our invention.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a track section of a single-track railway on one y, side of a crossing, and A represents a tracksection of the railway at the opposite side of the crossing. The said track-sections are electrically insulated from each other at the crossing, as at B, and are electrically insulated from the remaining portion of the track a suitable distance, preferably about twentyfiye hundred feet from the crossing, as at B B stitute conductor-rails.

The rails of track-sections A and A con- 0 Care two electric batteries. Battery 0 has its opposite terminals electrically connected with the different rails, respectively, of track-section A, and battery O has its opposite terminals electrically connected with the different rails, respectively, of track-section A.

An upright electromagnet D- has its opposite terminals electrically connected, by means of wire d d, with the different rails, respectively, of track-section A, and the said magnet, battery 0, and the electrical connections (including track-section A) between the said battery and magnet constitute a trackcircuit that is normally closed.

-D designates an upright electromagnet having its opposite terminals electrically connected by wires d d with the different rails, respectively, of track-section A and the said magnet, battery 0, and the electrical connections (including track-section A") between the said battery and magnet constitute another track-circuit that is normally closed. We have therefore two normally-closed track-circuits at opposite sides, respectively, of the crossing.

An armature D' at the lower end of the magnet D is normally-attracted by the said magnet, and the said armature when the track-circuit (including track-section A) is short-circuited by a train approaching the crossing upon the said track-section drops by gravity, and thereby closes a break 1 in an electric circuit that includes a battery E, a horizontally-arranged electromagnet G, an upright electromagnet H, and armature D.

An armature D at thelower end of the magnet D is normally attracted by the said magnet, and the said armature when the track-circuit, including track-section A, is short-circuited by a train approaching the crossing upon the said track-section drops by gravity and closes the break 2 in an electric circuit that includes battery E,a horizontallyarranged electromagnet G an upright electromagnet H and armature D It will there fore be observed that the break 1 in the wiring of the circuit, including magnet H, is closed by armature D when a train approaches the crossing upon track-section A, and that the break 2 in the wiring of the circuit, including magnet H is closed by armature D when a train approaches the crossing upon track-section A.

The armature H at the lower end of magnet H is normally unattracted by the magnet and is retained in its normal position by gravity, but is arranged to be attracted by the magnet when the latter is energized, and thereby close the break 3 in the signal-circuit for a train approaching the crossing upon track-section A,which signal-circuit includes the electric battery I, armatn re H, and alarmbell K, that has one of its terminals electrically connected by a wire K with one terminal of the battery I, and the armature H is arranged in the break 3 in the line or wiring K employed in establishing connection between the other terminals of signal K and battery I, and closes the said break, as al' ready indicated, when the magnet H is energized upon the approach to the crossing of a train upon track-section A, and thereby causes the signal to be operated, and the signal will operate until the last pair of wheels of the train has passed over the crossing-hr sulation at B.

Armature H at the lower end of magnet H is normally unattracted by the magnet and is retained in its normal position by gravity, but is arranged to be attracted by the magnet when the latter is energized, and thereby close the break 4 in the signal-circuit for a train approaching the crossing upon tracksection A, which signal-circuit includes the battery I, the armature H and the alarm bell K, that has one of its terminals electrically connected by Wire K, as already indicated, with oneof the terminals of the battery I, and the armature H is arranged in the break 4 in the line or wiring K employed between the other terminals of the signal K and battery I, and closes the said break, as already indicated,wl1en the magnet H is energized upon the approach to the crossing of a train upon track-section A, and thereby cause the signal to be operated, and the signal will operate until the last pair of wheels of the train has passed over the crossing-insulation at B.

To prevent a train that has entirely passed over the crossing from track-section A onto track-section A from operating the signal by short-circuiting the track-circuit, including battery 0, and at the same time to prevent the said train when the latter is entirely upon the last-mentioned track-section from interfering with the operation'of the signal by an- The said armature G in its normal position by gravity; but when magnet G is energized upon the approach of a train to a crossing upon track-section A armature G is attracted by the said magnet G, as already indicated, and prevents armature D from closing the signahcircuit when the said armature D drops by gravity upon the short-circuiting by the said train of the trackcircuit that includes battery 0 and magnet D when the said train oranypair of wheels thereof has passed onto the track-section A,anditis obvious that armature D will continue inoperative when the entire train has passed onto the track-section A, although the track-circuit,

'inclu ding tracksection A, battery 0, and magnet D, has again been closed, because armatu re D when it was released by magnet D fell upon armature G, but not far enough to effect the closing of the signal-circuit, and the engage m ent of the recess D of armature D with the armature G retains the said armatures in their engaging position until the train that has short-circuited the track-circuit, includin g track-section A, has passed from the said track-section, and thereby again renders operative the normal track-circuit, including the said track-section A, battery 0, and magnet D whereupon armature D is again attracted by the said magnet, and thereby releases the armature G, and the latter falls back into its normal position by gravity away from magnet G, providing no other train has passed on to track-section A, and if another train has passed onto track-section A before the armature G has been released by armature D then the-said'armature G remains attracted by armature G until such other train has passed onto and off of the track-section A.

To prevent a train that has entirely passed over the crossing from track-section A onto track-section A from operating the signal by short-circuiting the track-circuit, including battery 0, and at the same time to prevent the said train, when the latter is entirely upon the last-mentioned track-section, from interfering with the operation of the signal by another train approaching the crossing upon track-section A, We provide the magnet G and the'upright armature G pivoted at its lower end, as at 9 and arranged to be attracted by the said magnet and movable in under and into the path of the armature D opposite a notch or recess D formed in the under side of the armature D. armature G is normally unattracted by the magnet G and out of the path of armature D and is retained in its normal position by gravity; but when magnet G is energized upon the approach of a train to a crossing upon track-section A armature G is attracted The said by the said magnet G as already indicated,

passed onto the track-section A, audit is obvious thatarniature D will continue inoperative when the entire train has passed onto the track-section A, although the trackcircuit, including track-section A, battery 0, and magnet D has again been closed, because armature D when it was released by magnet D fell upon armature G but not far enough to effect the closing of the signal-circuit, and the engagement of the recess D of armature D with the armature G retains-the said armatures in their engaging position until the train that has short-circuited the trackcircuit, including track-section A, has passed from the said track-section,and thereby again renders operative the normal track-circuit,including the said track-section A,battery C,an d magnet D, whereupon armature D is again attracted by the said magnet, and thereby releases the armature G and the latter falls back into its normal position by gravity away from magnet G providing no other train has passed onto track-section A, and if another train has passed onto track-section A before the armature G has been released by armature D then the said armature G remains attracted by magnet G until such other train has passed onto and oflf of the track-section A.

It will be observed from what we have hereinbefore disclosed that the signal is not operated by a train that has passed from the conductor-forming track-section at one side of the crossing wholly onto the other conductor-forming track-section and that the signal was operated by the train while the latter or any pair of wheels thereof were upon the firstmentioned track-section.

What we claim is 1. In an electric signal for a railway-crossin g, the combination with two normally closed track-circuits including electrically-insulated track-sections at opposite sides, respectively, of the crossing, and electromagnets D and D respectively; of a normally open electric circuit including a magnet G, a magnet II, and an armature D that is normally attracted by the magnetD and capable of closing the break in the said circuit when it is moved away from the magnet; another normally open electric circuit including a magnet G a magnet H and an armature D that is normally attracted by the magnet D and capable of closing the break in the circuit when it is separated from the magnet; an armature G arranged to be attracted by magnet G andmovable into the path of the armature D when attracted; an armature G arranged to be attracted by magnet G and movable into the path of the armature D when attracted, and a normally open signal-circuit having two branches and two normally open circuitbreakers that are arranged in the different branches, respectively, and comprise two armatures H and H arranged to be attracted by the magnets H and H respectively, and capable of closing the signal-circuit'when attracted, substantially as set forth.

. 2. In an electric circuit for a railway-crossing, the combination with two normally closed track-circuits including electrically-insulated track-sections at opposite sides, respectively, of the crossing, aud electromagnetsD and D respectively; of a normally open electric circuit including a magnet G, a magnet II, and a gravity-armature D notched or recessed upon its under side and normally attracted by the magnetD and capable of closing the break in the said circuit when it drops by gravity upon being released by the respective magnet; another normally open electric circuit including a magnet G a magnet H and a gravity-armatureD notched or recessed upon the under side and normally attracted by the magnet D and capable of closing the break in the circuit when it drops by gravity upon being released by the respective magnet; a gravity-armature G arranged to be attracted by magnet G and movable into the path of and opposite the notch or recess of the'armature D when attracted; a gravity-armature G arranged to be attracted by magnet G and movable into the path of and opposite the notch or recess of the armature D when attracted, and a normally open signal-circuit having two branches including two gravityarmatures H and H arranged to be attracted by the magnets H and H respectively, and capable of closing the signal-circuit when attracted, but separated normally from the respective magnet, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 22d day of December, 1897.

WILLIAM H. DANALDS. AARON E. FLIOKINGER.

Witnesses:

O. H. Donna, ELLA E. TILDEN.

IOO 

